The field of this invention is augers, particularly of the type used in continuous mining operations.
One of the most significant health and safety problems involved with continuous mining operations revolves about the suspension of contaminates within the air adjacent to and in the vicinity of such a mining operation. For example, during coal mining operations, the suspension of coal dust presents a very real threat to the health and safety of miners in the adjoining areas inasmuch as the coal dust is extremely explosive in its suspended state as well as a traceable cause of "black lung," a notorious disease common to coal miners who breathe such coal dust on a daily basis.
Many attempts have been made at ways to remove the suspended contaminate from the air. As far as known, prior devices attempt to remove contaminate particles after becoming suspended in the air rather than effecting to prevent the deleterious suspension of such particles.
One attempt in the prior art has been to use water sprays mounted with the central tubular member of the auger for spraying water generally into the mine bore. However, this has not been effective in reducing contaminate particles to safe levels.